Apparently this was the last photo taken of him and it does look like he had gained weight.
Singer George Michael is Dead
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Apparently this was the last photo taken of him and it does look like he had gained weight.
Didn't think to mention it but MTVClassic had been playing Wham! & George Michael videos since 9pm EST yesterday they just stopped playing them at 1:30 pm EST. While BETSoul is playing blocks of George Michael videos at 1pm, 9pm & 5a EST for anybody that wants to watch his music videos.
Rest in peace to George Michael. My mother was a big fan of his music so I was introduced to his music pretty early in my life.
Rest in peace to George Michael. My mother was a big fan of his music so I was introduced to his music pretty early in my life.
Cocaine use is a common cause of heart failure. Many people think they can use it recreationally, even occasionally, with no serious effects, but this is incorrect.
Remember, most everyone dies essentially from heart failure (except a gunshot victim who dies from blood loss, etc.). Whether it is from drugs, diabetes, or a heart attack, it's a catch all phrase sometimes, especially when they don't know what it's from. He died because his heart failed- duh, but from what? No one will surmise what was the cause was until the autopsy report comes back. I respect that. I loved him so much.
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Somewhere Madonna is planning her tribute to him for the Grammy's. Pray for the kids y'all.
No worries, I have no idea what his cause of death was, I was just responding to a comment that suggested that if he died of heart failure (CHF), it may be due to a fairly acute weight gain. Heart failure causes extreme fluid retention and this could have been one part of his appearance of weight gain more recently. A very common cause of heart failure in a young person (including 50's) who is not morbidly obese or having long-term extremely high blood pressure is a history of cocaine use. I work as a dietitian in a cardiac ICU, and I did not know this 10 years ago, but maybe it is common knowledge.
It's very sad, I hope people do know about this connection. I have cared for smart, caring, intelligent patients in their 30's who were seemingly healthy until they realized they had heart failure and passed away, sometimes without a long time to mentally and emotionally prepare.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...lone-boyfriend-reveals-battled-secret-heroin/
George Michael died alone boyfriend reveals as he battled a secret heroin addiction
It is a haunting image, a famous music star staring out from the window of his country home as the village Christmas procession passed by - life going on without him.
To his fans he was the defining pop idol of their generation, to his admirers he had one of the most beautiful soul voices in British pop, but this last sighting of George Michael reveals that he died the death of a recluse.
His boyfriend has revealed how the singer songwriter, who gave us one of the most loved Christmas songs of all time, had died alone on Christmas morning, at the age of just 53.
Fadi Fawaz, a celebrity hairdresser, who had been in a relationship with the star since 2011, said he discovered him when he went to his home in Oxfordshire as the pair had been planning to spend the day together.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "We were supposed to be going for Christmas lunch. I went round there to wake him up and he was just gone, lying peacefully in bed. We don't know what happened yet.
"Everything had been very complicated recently, but George was looking forward to Christmas, and so was I.
"Now everything is ruined. I want people to remember him the way he was - he was a beautiful person."
But in recent years the hedonistic lifestyle he became famous for had left the once dashingly handsome pop icon a bloated version of himself.
It can also be revealed that over the past year he is thought to have been battling a spiralling heroin addiction.
A source revealed yesterday that Michael had been treated in hospital for an overdose.
The source told The Daily Telegraph: “He's been rushed to A&E on several occasions. He used heroin. I think it’s amazing he’s lasted as long as he has.”
Cardiac arrest - the cause of death according to Michael's manager, Michael Lipman - is common among heroin users.
It was a deeply sad death for a man whose bravery in forcing the world to come to terms with his sexuality on his terms was widely admired, but who was dogged by the long shadow of Aids.
The condition took several friends and at least one lover and had initially forced him to keep the truth about his homosexuality hidden for fear of terrifying his mother about the consequences.
His former partner Kenny Goss described as an "extremely kind and generous man".
In a statement he said: "I'm heartbroken with the news that my dear friend and long time love George Michael has passed.
"He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much. He was an extremely kind and generous man.
"The beautiful memories and music he brought to the world will always be an important part of my life and those who also loved and admired him."
Neighbours near his Mill Cottage home, in Goring on Thames, near Oxford, which Michael bought for a reported £1.5 million in 1999, spoke movingly yesterday about his last few months.
Outside the cottage two reindeer sculptures lit by fairy lights were still illuminated in the garden, while a Christmas wreath covered in apples, berries and pine cones hung on a side door.
The manager of the nearby Catherine Wheel pub, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Michael had been a regular face in the pub, but in recent years his appearances became few and far between.
"He has changed over the years, got a lot bigger and wore glasses. He was very self-conscious. He just did not look like George Michael any more. It's very sad.
"I went down to lay a candle outside his house with a group and they said the last time he was seen was watching the torchlight procession on Christmas Eve from the window."
Residents told how George Michael chose to buy his home in Goring-on-Thames after he visited the area with Geri Halliwell and no one recognised him.
They said the star had become less visible in recent years and was rarely seen out and about, unless it was to buy packet of Rizla cigarette papers from the local newsagents.
Neighbours fear he spent Christmas Eve either alone or with his housekeeper.
Malcolm Allport, 80, reported seeing Christmas deliveries arriving, but no guests.
Church Warden David Beddall, 77, said: 'He came to the midnight service last year but he didn't come this year.
“He decorated the garden with Christmas lights so we knew he was there but we didn't see him.' George had maintained a low public profile in recent years, only communicating with fans through Twitter where he has insisted he is “perfectly fine”.
In his last Facebook post, the star said he was busy putting the finishing touches to a documentary called ‘Freedom’, which is due to air in March 2017.
On his 53nd birthday, on June 25, Michael apologised to fans for his absence from the limelight.
He wrote on Twitter: “To my lovelies and fans around the world, thank you for all the birthday wishes, I am truly overwhelmed. I am looking forward to spending it with friends and family, thank again, love The Singing Greek!”
The once fresh faced boy from East Finchley who had wowed the world with a song about enjoying life on unemployment benefit with his school friend Andrew Ridgeley had long struggled with substance abuse.
In 2014/15 it was claimed Michael had secretly spent a year in the £190,000-a-month Kusnacht Practice in Switzerland after becoming addicted to crack cocaine.
Michael’s spokesman said he had not entered rehab but instead had been ‘spending time in Europe’ on an ‘extended break’.
What is certain is that the singer had a close brush with death as a result of contracting pneumonia in 2011, while on tour.
George started dating the Texan art dealer in 1996 and they broke up in 2009 - something the singer did not confirm for two years.
On the opening night of his Symphonica tour in 2011, he said: “I love him very much. This man has brought me a lot of joy and pain.”
His secret donations to charity
Quietly generous, Michael's many acts of kindness have begun to be revealed since his death.
A couple who desperately wanted a baby but could not afford fertility treatment and a debt-ridden student nurse were among those who George Michael secretly donated small chunks of his fortune to.
The pop icon’s silent acts of philanthropy over the years added up to millions of pounds, it is now thought, as recipients began to come forward to reveal how his generosity changed lives.
Lynette Gillard, 38, from Bolton, received £9,000 from an anonymous donor in 2008 after her husband at the time Stephen appeared on the game show Deal or No Deal but walked away with £3000 - £5000 short of the amount needed for a round of IVF treatment.
The show’s former executive producer Richard Osman announced on Twitter that after a contestant said they needed money for fertility treatment, “George Michael secretly phoned the next day” and said he wanted to donate the thousands of pounds the couple needed.
Last night Ms Gillard said: “For many years I wondered who would of been so generous and now I know. What more can I say other than thank you George.”
A spokesman for Deal or No Deal would not confirm whether Ms Gillard’s mystery donation was from Michael, saying: “Anonymous donations are kept private in line with the donor’s wishes."
The author and journalist Sali Hughes said that Michael once tipped a barmaid £5,000 because she was a student nurse who was in debt.
She added that Michael was was the only star on the celebrity version of the game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire who felt comfortable gambling with all the money he had raised for his chosen charity, because he had decided he would pay back the money out of his own pocket if he lost.
George Michael died alone boyfriend reveals as he battled a secret heroin addiction
It is a haunting image, a famous music star staring out from the window of his country home as the village Christmas procession passed by - life going on without him.
To his fans he was the defining pop idol of their generation, to his admirers he had one of the most beautiful soul voices in British pop, but this last sighting of George Michael reveals that he died the death of a recluse.
His boyfriend has revealed how the singer songwriter, who gave us one of the most loved Christmas songs of all time, had died alone on Christmas morning, at the age of just 53.
Fadi Fawaz, a celebrity hairdresser, who had been in a relationship with the star since 2011, said he discovered him when he went to his home in Oxfordshire as the pair had been planning to spend the day together.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "We were supposed to be going for Christmas lunch. I went round there to wake him up and he was just gone, lying peacefully in bed. We don't know what happened yet.
"Everything had been very complicated recently, but George was looking forward to Christmas, and so was I.
"Now everything is ruined. I want people to remember him the way he was - he was a beautiful person."
But in recent years the hedonistic lifestyle he became famous for had left the once dashingly handsome pop icon a bloated version of himself.
It can also be revealed that over the past year he is thought to have been battling a spiralling heroin addiction.
A source revealed yesterday that Michael had been treated in hospital for an overdose.
The source told The Daily Telegraph: “He's been rushed to A&E on several occasions. He used heroin. I think it’s amazing he’s lasted as long as he has.”
Cardiac arrest - the cause of death according to Michael's manager, Michael Lipman - is common among heroin users.
It was a deeply sad death for a man whose bravery in forcing the world to come to terms with his sexuality on his terms was widely admired, but who was dogged by the long shadow of Aids.
The condition took several friends and at least one lover and had initially forced him to keep the truth about his homosexuality hidden for fear of terrifying his mother about the consequences.
His former partner Kenny Goss described as an "extremely kind and generous man".
In a statement he said: "I'm heartbroken with the news that my dear friend and long time love George Michael has passed.
"He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much. He was an extremely kind and generous man.
"The beautiful memories and music he brought to the world will always be an important part of my life and those who also loved and admired him."
Neighbours near his Mill Cottage home, in Goring on Thames, near Oxford, which Michael bought for a reported £1.5 million in 1999, spoke movingly yesterday about his last few months.
Outside the cottage two reindeer sculptures lit by fairy lights were still illuminated in the garden, while a Christmas wreath covered in apples, berries and pine cones hung on a side door.
The manager of the nearby Catherine Wheel pub, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Michael had been a regular face in the pub, but in recent years his appearances became few and far between.
"He has changed over the years, got a lot bigger and wore glasses. He was very self-conscious. He just did not look like George Michael any more. It's very sad.
"I went down to lay a candle outside his house with a group and they said the last time he was seen was watching the torchlight procession on Christmas Eve from the window."
Residents told how George Michael chose to buy his home in Goring-on-Thames after he visited the area with Geri Halliwell and no one recognised him.
They said the star had become less visible in recent years and was rarely seen out and about, unless it was to buy packet of Rizla cigarette papers from the local newsagents.
Neighbours fear he spent Christmas Eve either alone or with his housekeeper.
Malcolm Allport, 80, reported seeing Christmas deliveries arriving, but no guests.
Church Warden David Beddall, 77, said: 'He came to the midnight service last year but he didn't come this year.
“He decorated the garden with Christmas lights so we knew he was there but we didn't see him.' George had maintained a low public profile in recent years, only communicating with fans through Twitter where he has insisted he is “perfectly fine”.
In his last Facebook post, the star said he was busy putting the finishing touches to a documentary called ‘Freedom’, which is due to air in March 2017.
On his 53nd birthday, on June 25, Michael apologised to fans for his absence from the limelight.
He wrote on Twitter: “To my lovelies and fans around the world, thank you for all the birthday wishes, I am truly overwhelmed. I am looking forward to spending it with friends and family, thank again, love The Singing Greek!”
The once fresh faced boy from East Finchley who had wowed the world with a song about enjoying life on unemployment benefit with his school friend Andrew Ridgeley had long struggled with substance abuse.
In 2014/15 it was claimed Michael had secretly spent a year in the £190,000-a-month Kusnacht Practice in Switzerland after becoming addicted to crack cocaine.
Michael’s spokesman said he had not entered rehab but instead had been ‘spending time in Europe’ on an ‘extended break’.
What is certain is that the singer had a close brush with death as a result of contracting pneumonia in 2011, while on tour.
George started dating the Texan art dealer in 1996 and they broke up in 2009 - something the singer did not confirm for two years.
On the opening night of his Symphonica tour in 2011, he said: “I love him very much. This man has brought me a lot of joy and pain.”
His secret donations to charity
Quietly generous, Michael's many acts of kindness have begun to be revealed since his death.
A couple who desperately wanted a baby but could not afford fertility treatment and a debt-ridden student nurse were among those who George Michael secretly donated small chunks of his fortune to.
The pop icon’s silent acts of philanthropy over the years added up to millions of pounds, it is now thought, as recipients began to come forward to reveal how his generosity changed lives.
Lynette Gillard, 38, from Bolton, received £9,000 from an anonymous donor in 2008 after her husband at the time Stephen appeared on the game show Deal or No Deal but walked away with £3000 - £5000 short of the amount needed for a round of IVF treatment.
The show’s former executive producer Richard Osman announced on Twitter that after a contestant said they needed money for fertility treatment, “George Michael secretly phoned the next day” and said he wanted to donate the thousands of pounds the couple needed.
Last night Ms Gillard said: “For many years I wondered who would of been so generous and now I know. What more can I say other than thank you George.”
A spokesman for Deal or No Deal would not confirm whether Ms Gillard’s mystery donation was from Michael, saying: “Anonymous donations are kept private in line with the donor’s wishes."
The author and journalist Sali Hughes said that Michael once tipped a barmaid £5,000 because she was a student nurse who was in debt.
She added that Michael was was the only star on the celebrity version of the game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire who felt comfortable gambling with all the money he had raised for his chosen charity, because he had decided he would pay back the money out of his own pocket if he lost.
That is a lovely tribute. I loved his voice, but I did not realize that he had done such acts of kindness.
It wasn't as far as I know. But George has/had a long love/hate relationship with drugs. He has talked about it, but I didn't know heroin was one of his vices.